At my worst, during my 'nervous breakdown', I had most of these symptoms, constantly, day and night, for days, until I ended up on the cardiac ward with a suspected heart attack. Even the head of cardiology, looking at my ECG thought my heart was breaking.
Now, months later, the symptoms are mostly contained to my bad nights, and beta blockers provide some short term relief. I can't take them too many days in a row or I get very vivid nightmares that wake me up.
My most regular symptoms now are constant tinnitus, trembling, night sweats and some choking/inability to breathe correctly sensations. Neck pain comes and goes but gets better if I practice relaxing my shoulders all day.
If you are experiencing these things then I'm not going to tell you that you aren't crazy, because if this isn't crazy, I don't know what is, But you are not alone. Peace xxx
Signs and symptoms
DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for a panic attack include a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within minutes:Palpitations, and/or accelerated heart rate
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Sensations of shortness of breath or being smothered
Feeling of choking
Chest pain or discomfort
Nausea or abdominal distress
Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
De-realization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
Fear of losing control or going insane
Sense of impending death
Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
Chills or hot flashes
In DSM-5, culture-specific symptoms (e.g., tinnitus, neck soreness, headache, and uncontrollable screaming or crying) may be seen. Such symptoms should not count as one of the four required symptoms.
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring panic attacks. It may also include significant behavioral changes lasting at least a month and of ongoing worry about the implications or concern about having other attacks. The latter are calledanticipatory attacks (DSM-IVR). Panic disorder is not the same as agoraphobia (fear of public places), although many afflicted with panic disorder also suffer from agoraphobia. Panic attacks cannot be predicted, therefore an individual may become stressed, anxious or worried wondering when the next panic attack will occur. Panic disorder may be differentiated as a medical condition, or chemical imbalance. The DSM-IV-TR describes panic disorder and anxiety differently. Whereas anxiety is preceded by chronicstressors which build to reactions of moderate intensity that can last for days, weeks or months, panic attacks are acute events triggered by a sudden, out-of-the-blue cause: duration is short and symptoms are more intense. Panic attacks can occur in children, as well as adults. Panic in young people may be particularly distressing because children tend to have less insight about what is happening, and parents are also likely to experience distress when attacks occur.
Screening tools like Panic Disorder Severity Scale can be used to detect possible cases of disorder, and suggest the need for a formal diagnostic assessment.
Panic disorder is a potentially disabling disorder, but can be controlled and successfully treated. Because of the intense symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for a life-threatening physical illness such as a heart attack. This misconception often aggravates or triggers future attacks (some are called "anticipatory attacks"). People frequently go to hospital emergency roomson experiencing a panic attack, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out other conditions, thus creating further anxiety. There are three types of panic attacks: unexpected, situationally bounded, and situationally predisposed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_disorder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_attack
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